1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to portable seats and in particular to a portable seat assembly which is adapted to be removably mounted to a trunk latch of a vehicle such as a automobile or truck.
2. Description of the Background Art
Portable seats or chairs are well known and include articles such as the common folding chair, beach chairs, camp stools, and the like. Vehicle mounted and collapsible or folding seats are well known, and include seating apparatus that may be fastened to the bumper, to the lid of the trunk of an automobile, or connected to the trunk bed by complex hardware arrangements. One such type of portable chair is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,781,081 to Hynes. This type of portable chair is adapted to be removably mounted to the bumper of a vehicle such as an automobile. The chair, when not in use, is removed from the bumper and stored in a convenient place such as the trunk of the auto. However, such chairs heretofore known in the prior art, while they have exhibited the advantage of simplicity and small size by reason of the elimination of legs, have not been universally adapted for use on the wide variety of shapes and sizes of bumpers of typical vehicles.
The prior art discloses a large number of sports utility seats and other chairs. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,431 to Zakhi discloses a vehicle bumper seat. U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,529 to Lippert discloses a stadium seat. U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,209 to Handleman discloses a folding stadium seat.
In this respect, a seat for removable attachment to a trunk latch of a vehicle according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of removably positioning a seat on a trunk latch of a vehicle.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvement which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the portable seat art.
In view of the obvious shortcomings of the various portable seats, it is an object of this invention to provide a portable seat assembly which may be easily attached and removed from the trunk latch in the majority of vehicles in use today.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly that can be supported by the trunk and/or bumper of a vehicle.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly that employs a pair of downwardly extending repositionable supports as a means for supporting the seat portion of the portable seat assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly where the pair of downwardly extending repositionable supports are connected to vertical stiffeners located on the lower surface of the seat portion allowing outward and inward movement of the downwardly extending repositionable supports whereby the downwardly extending repositionable supports project at different depths from the lower surface of the seat portion allowing the portable seat to adapt to different surfaces of the trunks of different vehicles.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly that uses a hook to attach to the latch of a vehicle for securing the seat portion of the portable seat assembly to the vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly employing a hook that has a J-shaped portion at one end and an externally threaded portion at an opposite end.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a portable seat assembly employing a J-shaped hook that easily adjusts in depth to allow the hook to be easily attached to different trunk latches in different vehicles.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly having a plurality of slots located along the downwardly extending repositionable supports for ease of connection and adjustment in position of the downwardly extending repositionable supports to the stiffeners on the lower surface of the seat portion.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly having a boss that fits snugly into an axial bore that goes through the upper surface of the seat portion to the lower surface of the seat portion of the portable seat assembly. The lip portion of the boss is anchored to the upper surface of the seat portion of the portable seat assembly.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly where the boss is internally threaded and is mated to the externally threaded J-shaped hook for providing an easily adjustable connection between the J-shaped hook and the seat portion of the portable seat assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly where the boss is externally threaded and is mated to an internally threaded standard nut.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly where the slots on the lower surface of the seat portion interlock with the vertical stiffeners on the downwardly extending repositionable supports resulting in stable support of the portable seat assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly where the seat portion is integrally formed out of a plastic material.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly where the boss is manufactured out of a metal material and/or a plastic material.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly where the hook is of a length to receive a lock washer and a standard nut whereby the standard nut is threadedly connected to the boss over the lock washer to lock the hook into the appropriate alignment for proper attachment to the trunk latch of the vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly having an internally threaded cap for connection to the externally threaded portion of the hook above the upper surface of the seat portion of the portable seat assembly.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly where the cap is manufactured out of a metal material and/or a plastic material.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly where the hook is manufactured out of a metal material and/or a plastic material.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable seat assembly for removable attachment to a trunk latch of a vehicle, having a bumper comprising in combination a seat portion having an upper surface and a lower surface, a support connected to the seat portion allowing the seat portion to rest on the bumper of the vehicle in a horizontal orientation, and a hook for connecting the seat portion to the trunk latch of the vehicle.
The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.